Archive

And the Senate Race Is On in South Dakota

by Stuart Rothenberg August 9, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

I have had an almost-finished column sitting on my desk since the end of June. It’s not that I couldn’t finish it. I just decided to put it on hold, indefinitely.

But the recent coverage of National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign’s (Nev.) statement that it’s time for…

Even in Bad Environment, NRCC Finds Willing Candidates

by Stuart Rothenberg August 6, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

The national political environment looks pretty crummy for Republicans these days, and I’m not at all sure that it will improve between now and the time voters go to the polls next November. But that hasn’t stopped a handful of potentially strong GOP challengers from launching their bids against…

Watts Video Shows He Has a Ways to Go in Texas

by Stuart Rothenberg August 2, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

Having watched thousands of campaigns over the past couple of decades, I have come to understand that the candidate you meet in July of the off-year is not always the same person you see again 15 months later. Candidates, and their campaigns, often improve with experience, and they start to look…

Is Al Franken Laughing All the Way to a Senate Seat?

by Stuart Rothenberg July 30, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

Often, when comedian-turned-candidate Al Franken’s name comes up these days, Republicans just snicker. Then they say that despite all the national attention paid to his candidacy and notwithstanding his strong early fundraising, Franken can’t beat Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

Coleman, after…

2008 Senate Ratings

July 27, 2007 · 12:04 AM EDT

Here are our latest Senate ratings. Note- We have moved to our pre-election categories. The chart represents the vulnerability of the seat, and not necessarily the incumbent.

*UPDATE 9/8/07: Change Nebraska to Open. Keep as Clear GOP Advantage for now.



Toss-Up (3 R, 0 D)
  • CO Open…

When a Candidate’s Bio Doesn’t Give the Full Picture

by Stuart Rothenberg July 26, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

I am not entirely sure when I first met Larry LaRocco. It may well have been on June 26, 1990, when my calendar tells me that I interviewed the one-time aide to former Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho) during his first run for Congress.

Later that year, LaRocco won a seat in the House, and two years…

Candidates Often Avoid Party Labels

by Stuart Rothenberg July 24, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

With former colleagues being dragged off to jail, an unpopular president, the Iraq War and huge losses in the 2006 elections, it’s no wonder that Republican candidates are shying away from the GOP brand. But why are some Democratic candidates still apprehensive about placing the “D” behind their…

Looking for the ‘Other’ 30 Percent of American Voters at a Concert

by Stuart Rothenberg July 23, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

Wish I Didn’t Know Now” — Toby Keith song (1994)

While most people spent Saturday evening reading or watching television at home, chilling out at the movies or partying with friends, Athanasios Genos (yes, that’s his real name) was working.

Marine Cpl. Genos wasn’t dodging bullets on combat…

Do Endorsements Matter in Today’s Presidential Races?

by Stuart Rothenberg July 19, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

“Score another big name endorsement for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign,” crowed CNN.com on July 5, the day the Clinton campaign announced that former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (Mo.) would serve as an economic adviser and co-chairman of the presidential hopeful’s…

There’s Still Plenty of Uncertainty After McCain’s Shake-up

by Stuart Rothenberg July 16, 2007 · 12:05 AM EDT

First there were four, and now there are three — three top-tier GOP presidential candidates, at least if you count a guy who still isn’t officially a candidate. Sen. John McCain now has the second tier all to himself.

The shake-up at the McCain presidential campaign isn’t as much an answer to…